Sick and vulnerable
by 444xxx4444
Summary: Sara gets sick and must accept help from others.
1. Chapter 1

Paste your document here...

**Chapter 1**

Sara had woken up Monday morning with a sore throat. Working too many doubles, lack of sleep, and perking up on coffee and donuts had this effect from time to time. To make matters worse, Ecklie switched her to the day shift and two weeks later back to nights. Switching shifts back and forth was exhausting. With mega doses of vitamin C, zinc, and hot tea, however, she fought off most invaders. In the last decade she'd only been sick 3 times. Thanks to Grissom, she caught his flu and was sick for a whole week in febuary.

So Monday night she went to bed early and expected to wake up feeling better. However, she woke up feeling worse, and swallowing became almost unbearable. The pain crept into her body, making her bones ache signifying a fever. 100.6 to be exact according to her digital thermometer . Determined to kick this illness, she loaded up on OJ and Zinc. She hated to be fussed over and decided not to say anything to Grissom. What good would it do to make him worry?

Thanks to extra strength Tylenol, Sara steadily worked through an 11 hour shift on Tuesday. She came home, laid on the couch, and fell asleep instantly. Her phone rang, startling her awake. "Sidle" she croaked out. She cleared her throat a few times wincing in pain. "Sara?" asked Grissom not recognizing her voice. "Yep. It's me.." she responded realizing how terrible she sounded. "Are you okay? You sound-"

"I'm fine." she lied cutting him off. "I was sleeping". There was a brief moment of silence. "Oh, Ok well I was actually calling to see if you wanted to do dinner Friday. At Harry's" he informed her. He would have to make reservations, since they always packed out. "Harry's?" a smile spread across her face. "Yes, I would love to!" lshe exclaimed. Her voice cracked. She tried to clear her throat and coughed a few times. Grissom grew concerned listening to Sara cough, but decided not to say anything. "ok, great. It's a date then." Grissom confirmed. They hung up and Sara fell into a deep sleep once more.


	2. Chapter 2

Paste

Chapter 2

Her eyes opened wide and she sat up. Soaked in sweat, she looked around totally confused. Sara could hear her alarm blaring. After a couple of seconds, she got up and ran to her bedroom to shut off her alarm. Her head pounded in protest. She sat down on her bed; it hurt to breathe. Her mouth cotton dry magnified the pain in her throat as she attempted to swallow. It felt like swallowing sand, making her gag. Gagging turned into severe coughing. Finally, she grabbed her cup of water on the nightstand. Her shaky hand cautiously held the cup to her mouth and she sipped a drop of water. Squeezing her fist tightly, grimacing in pain she let the water slide through. She took a few more calculated sips and to her relief the pain lessened slightly. Now running late, she hurried through her morning routine. She showered, brewed a hot cup of tea, grabbed some meds, and left.

Sara took the back roads to the crime scene. Although she was bundled up, the heat cranked on high, uncontrollable shivering racked her body . She began to cough, unable to catch her breath, she kept coughing. . She took a sip of tea, but her lungs were not settling. She hacked until she felt the hot tea rise back up in her throat. Oh no, breathe.. Deep breaths she coached herself as she tried to stay focused on the road and keep her tea down. Beads of sweat coated her forehead and her eyes watered.

She parked on the curb next to the house surrounded by yellow crime scene tape. She saw brass talking to two officers as he looked her way. She coated her dry, peeling lips with Carmex, popped 2 extra strength Tylenol in her mouth and swallowed them back without water. She launched a cough drop into her mouth as she tried to take a deep breath without coughing. Still shivering, she put on a second coat and zipped it all the way up. Sara stepped out of her vehicle and went over to Brass.

"Sara we have a double homicide. Catherine and Grissom are on the way." She shook her head."I'll go start processing the upstairs." her response was strained, rough. Sara coughed, then tried to clear her throat.

"ok- you alright?" Brass stared at her intently noticing how tired she looked. Not to mention, she sounded... Sick.

Just then Grissom pulled up. Seconds later Catherine's Denali followed suit. Sara and Brass walked over to them


	3. Chapter 3

Paste your document here...

Chapter 3

Brass gave a dry smile." Catherine, you and Sara process upstairs. Grissom i need you down stairs. Nick should be here momentarily." Brass said glancing at his phone then fixed his gaze on Grissom. Catherine grabbed her kit, looked at Brass, Grissom, then to Sara "Let's start processing, shall we?" she led the way upstairs, Sara right behind her.

Once upstairs Catherine called out "Lots of blood. There's nothing like the smell of blood in the morning... Wakes me up like coffee." Carherine said raising an eyebrow.

"I'll stick with coffee." Sara choked out, instantly coughing into her sleeve. It took everything she had to keep from coughing more. Catherine gave her a quick uncertain glance.

Catherine bent down on one knee and carefully examined the middle aged woman sprawled out in a pool of blood on the floor. "I see chunks of hair, looks like a struggle" Catherine says surveying the ground with her eyes. "What do you think happened?" she shifted her gaze to Sara. All Sara could do was take deep breaths to fight the urge to cough. Catherine walked closer to Sara now staring at her. "what?" Sara looked up at Catherine confused. "I asked what you think happened here." Sara cleared her throat and began to cough uncontrolably in her sleeve. Catching Catherine's concerned look she shifted her gaze to the evidence, "Someone wanted her brutally murdered", Sara said. Her voice sounded congested, hoarse, and quiet.

All the mucus from her nose was running down her throat. The thickness made her keep coughing for almost a min. Still feeling the thick coating in her throat, she tried to clear it a few times and coughed more. Finally her throat cleared and the coughing ceased.

Silence filled the hallway. Realizing what she must have sounded like between the hacking and trying to clear her throat a million times suddenly made her feel embarrassed.

"Damn it Sara, you're sick."Catherine exclaimed in her motherly stern voice. Sara sighed and shrugged breaking eye contact. "I'm tired, I switch from days to nights, back to days, and can't do anything but sleep when I'm not at work.." her voice escalating."Ok, I'm sick, you win!"Sara barked back with a rough, scratchy voice followed by coughing. She took a deep breath in to control the next urge to cough. Her lungs hurt.

"Ok ok, calm down. Just Make sure you don't contaminate the evidence." Catherine said as she moved away to process more evidence.

-why that girl wont stay home when she's sick... Or at least not get so hostile about being sick..

About an our later Catherine finished up, grabbed her evidence and headed towards Sara. The sound of a failed attempt to silently sneeze erupted followed by dry coughing. Sara sniffled a few times in hopes that her nose wouldn't run. She closed her eyes for a second, as the pressure in her head overwhelmed her. She was sick and feeling miserable.

"Guzentheit" Catherine offered with a few tissues for her ill coworker.

"Thanks" Sara replied back sounding more congested.

"Have you taken anything?" asked cath

"Ah ha" breathed Sara.

Catherine couldnt help herself- she reached over to feel Sara's forehead. Sara tried to move away, but it was no use. Catherine's cold hand felt good.

"Sara, you're burning up! Let's go..."

"Catharine wait.."

"I'll grab your stuff. Come on. I'll let Grissom know. Hell Sara you're sick."

Sara knew not to argue back this time. Sara quickly followed Catherine down stairs. Walking downstairs made Sara breathe heavy, which led to more uncontrollable coughing.

Who happened to be downstairs listening to her nearly hack up a lung- Grissom. "Sara? Are you ok?" Grissom had a look of deep concern across his face. Sara recognized his worrying features twist and strain. "No, she's not okay- im taking her home- she's sick- too sick to be here." asserted Catherine. Sara shrugged in defeat too tired to even talk. Grissom fumbled for a response. He desperately wanted to take care of her; she looked so sick. "Please, go home and get some rest. Catherine will take good care of you." He waited for Catherine to turn around - "I'll stop by later on" he mouthed. Sara shook her head yes and got in the front seat of the Denali and closed the door.


End file.
